Quick 2026: The Simpsons Donut Burgers Take Over Springfield

Quick turns a fast-food launch into a trip to Springfield

From August 18 to September 21, 2026, Quick is transforming a limited-time meal into a compact piece of Springfield. The French campaign introduces three Donut Burgers, a pink-glazed dessert and five collector glasses, while participating restaurants receive visual touches inspired by The Simpsons. The idea feels unusually coherent because food has never been background decoration in the series: the family dinner table, Krusty Burger and Homer Simpson's pink donut have all become recurring comic shorthand. Rather than placing familiar characters on ordinary packaging, Quick has rebuilt the burger around the donut silhouette itself.

The collaboration arrives more than 35 years after the animated comedy became a prime-time fixture. Created by Matt Groening and developed with James L. Brooks and Sam Simon, The Simpsons began as a half-hour series in December 1989, although its French launch followed in 1990. The distinction matters: the campaign's source material calls 1990 its launch year, but the verified US premiere took place on December 17, 1989. The show passed 800 Fox-produced episodes in February 2026, has 37 Emmy wins according to the Television Academy, and is heading into its 38th season after a four-season renewal carrying it through season 40. That longevity gives a yellow bun or a pink glaze a cultural meaning few licensed properties can match.

Three Donut Burgers built around character and colour

Every recipe uses a yellow, ring-shaped bun topped with corn pieces, extending Springfield's colour palette into the food rather than relying only on branded sleeves. The signature Homer Simpson burger contains a 100% pure-beef patty, yellow ketchup made from yellow tomatoes, melted cheese, tomato, pickle, ranch sauce and iceberg lettuce. The playful detail is the condiment: ketchup remains recognisable in taste and function, but its colour turns a familiar burger component into part of the visual joke.

The Marge Simpson recipe replaces beef with breaded chicken and combines yellow mustard, cheddar, crispy onions, ranch sauce and iceberg lettuce. The Lisa Simpson burger mirrors the Homer Simpson composition but swaps the beef patty for a breaded vegetarian preparation. That is more than menu segmentation: it quietly reflects Lisa Simpson's long-established vegetarian identity, making the meat-free option a character-based choice rather than an afterthought. A pink-frosted donut with multicoloured sprinkles completes the range and recreates the snack most immediately associated with Homer Simpson.

Five French-made glasses turn the campaign into a collection

The promotion also includes five glasses devoted respectively to Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and Maggie Simpson. Produced in France by glassmaker ARC, the set connects a global entertainment licence with French manufacturing. Customers purchasing an eligible item from the themed range can add one glass for an extra charge, while supplies last. The one-character-per-glass format gives the offer a built-in collecting rhythm: one visit can deliver a souvenir, but completing the family encourages repeat visits before the campaign ends.

That collectible layer recalls the era when branded restaurant glassware became a durable part of family kitchens. It also makes the operation more than a short-lived food launch. The burger disappears after the meal; a glass carrying Bart Simpson or Maggie Simpson can remain visible for years. For Quick, this bridges appetite, nostalgia and social sharing long after September 21.

Quick continues its pop-culture-led comeback

The Springfield campaign extends a strategy already tested by Quick through collaborations with Avengers, Dragon Ball and Lucky Luke, alongside campaigns involving figures such as Éric Judor, Ramzy Bedia, Soprano, Tony Parker, Norbert Tarayre and Alexia Duchêne. The brand says it generated €600 million in revenue in 2025, expects to exceed 200 French restaurants in 2026 and is targeting 300 in France by 2028. Earlier reporting independently documented the 300-restaurant objective and revenue of €515 million for 2024; the newer €600 million figure is therefore presented as company-supplied 2025 data.

With more than 275 restaurants and 100 million customers across France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Morocco according to the company, Quick is using product novelty to support a broader expansion story. Nearly 70 burgers launched over two years illustrate the pace, while the partnership with Lesieur has moved familiar Quick sauces into supermarkets. The chain also says its development creates more than 1,500 jobs a year in France. These claims frame the collaboration as part of a sustained growth programme, not an isolated licensing stunt.

Why The Simpsons remain ideal fast-food partners

The match works because The Simpsons have spent decades satirising consumer culture while simultaneously creating some of its most recognisable fictional products. Krusty Burger, the Kwik-E-Mart and the pink donut are jokes about appetite and advertising, yet they are also instantly marketable icons. The campaign therefore carries a productive irony: a real restaurant is selling food inspired by a fictional world that has repeatedly mocked fast food. Fans can appreciate both layers without needing the menu to explain them.

The series itself remains an industrial landmark. It is produced by Gracie Films in association with 20th Television Animation, with Matt Selman serving as showrunner. Its honours include 37 Emmy wins, a Peabody Award and a 2019 Peabody Institutional Award; its characters also have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For a campaign built on instant recognition, that accumulated history is the real ingredient. Quick is not merely borrowing five cartoon faces: it is borrowing decades of memories attached to colour, family, television and food.

Quick x The Simpsons 2026: event recap

Where : Participating Quick restaurants throughout France, subject to availability.
When : August 18 to September 21, 2026.
What : Three limited-edition Donut Burgers inspired by Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson and Lisa Simpson; a pink-glazed sprinkle donut; themed restaurant elements; and five ARC collector glasses featuring Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and Maggie Simpson, available with an eligible themed purchase for an additional charge while stocks last.

(Source : press release)